A star of the massively popular Canadian show Heated Rivalry has hit back against an avalanche of hateful online posts, with the hockey drama’s success stirring up a frenzy online.

The show about the budding careers and secret relationship of two young male hockey stars – one Canadian, one Russian – over a series of years, has become a global phenomenon.

But it has also inspired particularly intense fan engagement across social media, including homophobic and racist comments.

Lead actor Hudson Williams, who plays Asian-Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander, addressed the issue in a social media post, saying: “Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind.”

“None of us need your hateful ‘love’,” he said on Monday.

The same post was shared by several others involved in the show, including actor Francois Arnaud, showrunner Jacob Tierney as well as Rachel Reid, who wrote the hockey-themed queer romance novels that inspired Heated Rivalry.